Remove a course by hiding it from your dashboard view
You can remove a Canvas course from your dashboard without deleting it from your account. Canvas lets you hide courses so they no longer appear on your main dashboard, but the course still exists and you can unhide it later if you need it back. This is useful when a semester ends, you finish a course, or you straightforward want to declutter your view.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're on a computer or mobile device, but both methods take less than a minute. You don't need special permissions—any student or instructor can hide their own courses.
Key Takeaways
- Hiding a course removes it from your dashboard but does not delete it; you can unhide it anytime from your course list.
- On a computer, click the three-dot menu on the course card and select "Hide from Dashboard."
- On a mobile device, swipe left on the course name (iOS) or long-press and select hide (Android).
- Hidden courses still appear in your full course list under "All Courses," so you can find them if you need to restore them.
- If you want to permanently remove a course, contact your instructor or administrator—hiding is the standard student option.
Hide a course on a computer
Log into Canvas and go to your dashboard. Find the course card you want to remove. In the top right corner of that course card, you'll see three dots arranged vertically (called a menu button). Click on those three dots.
A small menu will appear with a few options. Look for "Hide from Dashboard" and click it. The course card will disappear from your dashboard when ready. You'll see a confirmation message at the top of the page saying the course has been hidden.
If you change your mind, you can unhide the course anytime. Go to "All Courses" in the left sidebar, find the hidden course in the list, click its three-dot menu, and select "Show on Dashboard." The course will reappear on your main dashboard.
Hide a course on a mobile device
Open the Canvas app on your phone and view your dashboard. On an iPhone or iPad, swipe your finger from right to left across the course name. A red "Hide" button will appear on the right side. Tap "Hide" to remove the course from your dashboard.
On an Android phone, press and hold your finger on the course name for a second or two until a menu appears. Select "Hide from Dashboard" from the options. The course will be removed from your dashboard view.
To unhide a course on mobile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the top left, then select "All Courses." Find the course you hid, and look for a hide or visibility icon next to it. Tap that icon to restore the course to your dashboard.
What happens when you hide a course
Hiding a course only changes what you see on your dashboard—it does not affect the course itself or your enrollment. Your grades, assignments, and all course content remain intact and accessible. Instructors cannot see whether you've hidden a course, and hiding does not notify them in any way.
The hidden course still appears in your "All Courses" list, so you can always find it if you need to view it again. You can also search for the course by name using the search function in Canvas, and it will show up in the results even if it's hidden from your dashboard.
Unhide a course you've hidden
If you want to bring a hidden course back to your dashboard, go to "All Courses" in the left sidebar (on a computer) or tap the menu icon and select "All Courses" (on mobile). Scroll through the list until you find the course you hid.
On a computer, click the three-dot menu next to the course name and select "Show on Dashboard." On mobile, tap and hold the course name (Android) or swipe left (iOS) and select the show or unhide option. The course will reappear on your dashboard within a few seconds.
Troubleshooting: the three-dot menu doesn't appear
If you don't see the three-dot menu on a course card, try refreshing your browser or closing and reopening the Canvas app. Sometimes the menu takes a moment to load, especially on slower internet connections.
If the menu still doesn't appear after refreshing, check that you're logged into the correct Canvas account. Some schools use different Canvas instances, and you may be viewing a course from a different account. Log out completely, clear your browser cache, and log back in to your main account.
If you're still having trouble, contact your school's Canvas support team or IT help desk. They can verify your account permissions and help you troubleshoot the issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I hide a course, can my instructor see that I hid it?
No. Hiding a course is a personal dashboard preference that only you can see. Your instructor has no way to know whether you've hidden the course, and it does not affect your enrollment or grades in any way.
Will hiding a course affect my grades or assignments?
No. Hiding a course only removes it from your dashboard view. All your grades, assignment submissions, and course content remain exactly as they are. You can still access the course anytime by going to "All Courses."
Can I hide multiple courses at once?
No. Canvas requires you to hide courses one at a time using the three-dot menu on each course card. If you have many courses to hide, you'll need to repeat the process for each one, but each hide takes only a few seconds.
What's the difference between hiding and dropping a course?
Hiding removes the course from your dashboard view only—you remain enrolled and can see it anytime. Dropping a course removes you from enrollment entirely and is usually permanent. To drop a course, contact your instructor or registrar, not Canvas.
Can I hide a course on the computer and have it stay hidden on my phone?
Yes. Canvas syncs your dashboard preferences across all devices. If you hide a course on your computer, it will also be hidden when you open the Canvas app on your phone, and vice versa.